San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-05-26
LATEST TELEGRAPH NEWS.
Associated Press Dispatches and Speci-
ais Up to the Hour of Going to Press.
Burning OF Opera Comique.

Burning OF Opera Comique.
PARIS, May 26.-Fire In the Opera
Conique, last night, broke out during
the first act OF the opera "Mignon.''
One Of the wings, caught fire from gas
Jet and the entire stage was immediate.
ly envelOped In flames. The fire soon
spread to the whole house. All the
actors ran out in stage costumes. The
gas was turned on before all the audi
ence left the building, and 1t is feared
some were left In the upper tiers. The
roof soon fell in. With the exception
of Madame Teller, who persisted, all
the actors escaped, though several
supernumerles are Injured severely, and
five bodies terribly burnt were oOn-
veyed to the national library. The mill
tary club rendered great assist
anoe In the work OF rescuing people
from the building. Nineteen per-
sons are known TO be dead. Many of
thsse are supers. The artificial fire APP
paratus which had been placed In posi-
tion for the burning OF the palace in the
second act. rolled down from Its place
near the roof and exploded below.
Supers and members Of the chorus were
terrified, and some of the latter fled with
nothing on but their tights. The flames
spread with such rapidity that 10 10
minutes the theatre was vast furnace.
M. Tasquin implored the audience TO re-
main seated until exits were opened,
which they did. Had they made rush
for the doors the loss Of life would have
been terrible. The police outside were
unable to restrain the crowd who be-
sieged the building, inquiring for friends
inside, until military Gordon was
fnPnah tfQid of
the widest excitement. Flames shot out
of every window In the building, forcing
the crowd into the narrow streets,
where the crush was terrific. Many
policemen were injured. 1t is still IN
known how many persons we're unable
to escape from the building. The au-
dience was delayed few minutes by
the dense smoke and insufficient light.
Director SOleils, with his wife
and two children escaped with
out injury. The killed include four
firemen who believed that the staircase
In the theaere became blocked. The
iron curtain was lowered In front of the
stage. thus preventing the fire from
spreading Immediately to the auditori-
um, and allowed the audience time to es-
cape. The fire brigade distinguished
themselves, and many had narrow es-
capes. The most casualties so far re-
ported are due to nervousness. The vic
tins are chiefly singers and supers. So
licitor OF the British embassy said that
the audience showed great calmness
when the alarm was given. When the
gas was extinguished he CROPPED his way
to balcony, and saw people In the
street laying straw mattresses to re-
ceive persons jumping from the win
dows. He was ultimately rescued by
fireman.
DEAD BODIES STILL IN THE RUINS.
PARIS, May 26.-The bodies Of the bal
let dancers who lost their lives by the
burning OF the opera comique last night,
are lying In heaps In the ruins CT the
theatre. The firemen assert that many
bodies are lying In the upper galleries.
The number Of persons killed greatly
exceeds the previous estimates. An ex-
cited crowd surrounds the ruins, which
are guarded by a military Gordon.
SIXTY VICTIMS AT OPERA CoMIQUE.
LONDON, May 26.-The Havas news
agency OF Paris, placed the number of
persons killed and injured by the fire in
the opera comique last night at 90. The
theatre is completely destroyed.
PARIS. May 26. "a P. NJ. twenty
bodies In terribly mutitated condition
have been recovered from the ruins.
The remains are principally those of
ballet girls, choristers and machinists.
Five bodies are those of elderly ladies,
and one of them is that Of a child. The
flremen are now lowering some bodies
from the fourth story Of the theatre by
means of roma